As humanity hastens on space travel and future mass transportation of humans within our solar system, new emerging information is that it could be even possible to travel outside our solar system and perhaps beyond through the revered black holes. Yes, so for those of us who dream of living in an alternate world, in a different timeline and dimension, the opportunity is there but not without risking that very life we hold dear. Easier said than done, actually an impossible feat by ordinary standards as you will soon realize. The renowned British physicist, Prof. Stephen Hawkings claims black holes are gateways to mysterious alternative dimensions. Source: Mirror He said black holes have a “back door and aren't the eternal prisons they were once thought. Things can get out of a black hole, both from the outside and possibly through another universe,” adding that “If you feel you're in a black hole, don't give up. There's a way out.” The way out? We might have to find out ourselves. Scientists around the world have cautioned that with great power comes great risk, admonishing man’s attempt to for example harness the bountiful energy of black holes to generate electricity on earth. The fear, according to scientists around the world is if we failed to control the black hole it could consume our world and eventually the entire solar system. At a BBC organized lecture earlier this year; Prof. Hawkings said “A mountain-sized black hole would give off X-rays and gamma rays, at a rate of about 10 million megawatts, enough to power the world's electricity supply”.

By definition Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) or outflows refers to money that is illegally earned, transferred or utilized. Typically，these funds originate from three sources: commercial tax evasion and tax avoidance, trade misinvoicing and abusive transfer pricing/mispricing; criminal activities, including the drug trade, human trafficking, illegal arms dealing, smuggling of contraband, bribery and theft by corrupt government officials.By contrast China leads the developing world in Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) leaving the shores of developing countries. A 2015 report by Washington based research and advocacy group Global Financial Integrity (GFI) revealed in a study between 2004 and 2013 that $7.8 trillion worth of illicit money was siphoned from developing countries averaging an annual rate of 6.5 percent with China accounting for almost one fifth of the losses, a staggering $1.2 trillion within the ten year period.That amount, according to reports was equivalent to 15 percent of the country’s GDP in 2012. Key contributing factors to the high rate of illicit outflows from China were tax evasion through trade misinvoicing by transnational corporations and corruption led by top ranking officials. These two alone accounted for a whopping 77 percent of IFFs that left China within the period under study. The implication for China as well as other developing countries is the widening income inequality which inevitably has ripple effect on average household consumption.To tackle this worsening situation, China, among other policies implemented the now infamous operation “Fox Hunt’ campaign led by the country’s top anti-graft body, the International Cooperation Bureau of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. Another campaign, Operation Skynet on the other hand is a campaign committed to taking action against illegal private banks and offshore companies that illegally transfer money overseas. In January this year, the Ministry of Public Security set up a new agency to consolidate the efforts of these two campaigns. The Department of Overseas Fugitive Affairs is to help China bring fugitives hiding overseas to justice and to retrieve stolen funds. The country has so far extradited over 1000 fugitives who were on the run. Among them, 360 fugitives willingly turned themselves in to the police as part of the 2015 Fox Hunt campaign. This is what African countries should emulate- stepping up on counter measures to mitigate this problem which regardless of capital inflows from foreign development assistance cripples countries on the continent in all areas of development. The outflows within the past 50 years (excess of $1 trillion) as reported by the Joint African Union Commission/United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (AUC/ECA) is roughly the equivalent of inflows of official development assistance. However, some analyst totally dispute that and believe the outflows far outweighs the inflows, hence the need for radical measures that would hinder the major culprits from continual involvement in this malpractice. In a joint report by the AUC/ECA, the continent loses between $50 billion and $148 billion annually through illicit financial outflows. This canker cannot be solved by civil society organizations and neither can it be solved by the global financial institutions under whose oversight these criminal activities are perpetuated, but by the consolidated efforts of all countries on the continent. The foremost culprits according to the report are the same multi-nationals corporations who have vowed vested interest to assist in the development of the continent. Following the multinationals is organized crime which understandably can only operate through illicit financial outflows. Apart from weak governance capacity in most countries, the report noted that corrupt practices in Africa facilitate these outflows. And so begs the question, who should take the blame? Is it the leaders that the populace in Africa have entrusted the resources of the continent for development who have failed and continue to disappoint the people. Many would wonder how the multi-nationals are able to siphon these resources without notice. According to the Chairperson of the High Level Panel (AUC/ECA), former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki, the plot here is, these large commercial corporations have the means to retain the best available professionals in legal, accountancy, banking and other expertise to assist them in perpetuating their aggressive and illegal activities on the continent. “Similarly, organized criminal organizations, especially international drug dealers, have the funds to corrupt many players, including and especially governments, and even to “capture” weak states”. The undeniable truth is these illicit outflows are part of major contributing factors why African countries fell short of achieving the set target for the erstwhile Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s). The UN has set new targets, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) dubbed the 2030 Agenda. If African countries are going to make progress towards achieving targets outlined in the SDG’s, particularly in areas including reducing inequality within and among countries then they have to radically tackle challenges including but not limited to the following strategies these multinationals use in perpetuating IFFs. Base erosion and profit shifting. This refers to tax planning strategies that exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules to make profits ‘disappear’ for tax purposes or to shift profits to locations where there is little or no real activity but the taxes are low resulting in little or no overall corporate tax being paid. False invoicingThe practice of falsely declaring the value of goods imported or exported to evade customs duties and taxes, circumvent quotas or launder money. The value of goods exported is often understated, or the value of goods imported is often overstated, and the proceeds are shifted illicitly overseas. Most estimates of trade-based illicit financial flows focus on this mechanism.Hawala transactionsHawala is an informal system of money transfer between entities in different countries. Brokers use handshake deals and/or agreements with counterparts in other countries to move money without physically transferring funds (especially across borders) or using bank transfers. Often extremely difficult to monitor, hawala transactions are used primarily in the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia. Secrecy jurisdictionSecrecy jurisdictions are cities, states or countries whose laws allow banking or financial information to be kept private under all or all but few circumstances. Such jurisdictions may create a legal structure specifically for the use of non-residents. The originators of illicit financial flows may need to prevent the authorities in the country of origin from identifying them (e. g. if the money is the proceeds of tax evasion), in which case the flow will be directed to a secrecy jurisdiction. Because those directing IFFs seek out low taxes and secrecy, many tax havens are also secrecy jurisdictions, but the concepts are not identical. Shell banksA shell bank is a bank without a physical presence or employees in the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated. Tax avoidanceThis is the legal practice of seeking to minimize a tax bill by taking advantage of a loophole or exception to tax regulations or adopting an unintended interpretation of the tax code. Such practices can be prevented through statutory anti-avoidance rules; where such rules do not exist or are not effective. Tax evasionActions by a taxpayer to escape a tax liability by concealing from the revenue authority the income on which the tax liability has arisen. Tax evasion can be a major component of IFFs and entails criminal or civil penalties. Tax havensThese are jurisdictions whose legal regime is exploited by non-residents to avoid or evade taxes. A tax haven usually has low or zero tax rates on accounts held or transactions by foreign persons or corporations. This is in combination with one or more other factors, including the lack of effective exchange of tax information with other countries, lack of transparency in the tax system and no requirement to have substantial activities in the jurisdiction to qualify for tax residence. Tax havens are the main channel for laundering the proceeds of tax evasion and routing funds to avoid taxes. Trade misinvoicingThese are acts of misrepresenting the price or quantity of imports or exports in order to hide or accumulate money in other jurisdictions. The motive could, for example, be to evade taxes, avoid customs duties, transfer a kickback or launder money. Multinationals for example rely on the expertise of highly trained legal professionals who resort to a combination of all these mechanisms- making it very difficult for most governments with inadequate capacity to tract these outflows. This is not to say that regulatory bodies on the continent are not aware of these mechanisms used by perpetrators of IFFs but their lackadaisical attitude to closing these loopholes is what is making countries on the continent go around begging for alms when they could efficiently secure illicit funds leaving the continent. China, for example is incessantly incorporating counter-measures at tackling illicit outflows. It is promoting its fight against corruption on all fronts- swatting flies and tigers in their numbers. This is what is missing in Africa. Some may call witch hunting but I think it is about time African governments and politicians stood up for the people, protect the resources in their various jurisdictions and eliminate the perception of a beggar continent that has clouded the minds of people around the world. Africa is not poor, Africa is rich. It is Africans who are poverty stricken due to misrule, mismanagement and lack of oversight that have stagnated the continent in an ever increasing competitive world. More importantly, we cannot continue to use our colonial past as an excuse to remain in poverty. Irrespectively, the problem of illicit flows according to the GFI report cannot be solely solved by simply focusing on domestic policies of developing countries like what China is doing but by cooperation and support from the world’s shadow financial system which facilitates the absorption of illicit outflows from the continent. The group recommends that the global financial system “must also be subject to greater regulatory oversight so that the system is held to higher standards of transparency and accountability regarding transactions and operations. It advocates that a whole host of policy measures is necessary to make the absorption of illicit assets more difficult ranging from greater transparency with regard to reporting of data and information to the requirement that financial institutions collect on beneficial ownership of corporation, foundations and trusts, the requirement of country- by-country reporting by multinationals on their transactions and operations, and the automatic exchange of tax information between sovereign nations and tax havens.

Many relish the moments when they get up-close with A-list celebrity stars, inventors, politicians and other heavy weights in world history. The reality here is, you don’t always get these celebs all in one location. That however has been made possible through centuries old art of wax effigies.Wax museums are famous around the world for their unique representation of famous individuals and even groups that by ordinary standards, peasants like me wouldn’t come close to meeting in a lifetime. Popular around the world is the renowned Madame Tussauds wax museum. It is the name most people relate to when wax museums are mentioned even though it isn’t the first in recorded history and certainly not the last in modern history. With 250 years of experience passed on from generation to generation, cutting edge presentations and exhibition, Madame Tussauds has become a household name among its competitors and remains frequent on the check list of places to visit by both the young and old. Whilst others were visiting cemeteries, sweeping tombs and paying homage to the dead during the Qing Ming festival in China this past weekend, revelers (me included) were relishing the moment with some of our favourite celebrities at Madame Tussauds in Wuhan. Here, I get you up-close with what the Wuhan branch; one of a few in China has to offer. Bruce Willis Jackie Chan Marilyn Monroe Audrey Hepburn Xu Fan Feng Xiaogang Donnie Yen as ‘Ip Man’ Leslie Cheung as ‘Chang Deyi’ Serena Williams Rafael Nadal Kobe Bryant Yao Ming Lin Dan Li Xiaoshuang David Beckham Lionel Messi HRH Catherine/ HRH Prince William Queen Elizabeth II A selfie with the Queen President Barack Obama A selfie with President Putin Acting as spokesperson for President Putin The Lady of the House Madame Tussauds molding an effigy from a human head Li Na in one of her moments Yang Li Wei Steve Jobs Asked him a few questions…no comments he said. Thomas Edison Albert Einstein Leonardo Da Vinci Giving him my own touch of class Sun Li as Princess Zhen Sa Beining Sandra Ng Liu Huan G.E.M Hai Qing Jay Chou Kim Hyun Joong Justin Bieber- Taylor Swift Michael Jackson (King of Pop) Giving Lang Lang a lifetime lesson Lang Lang Robin Rihanna Fenty Fan Bing Bing Liu Shishi Nicky Wu Kate Winslet Leonardo DiCaprio Louis Koo Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt Johnny Depp In a tete-a tete with George Clooney George Clooney An Oscar for me huh!

I’ve lived in China for quite a considerable time including my graduate school years, travelled and worked in a few cities and still choose my destination taking into consideration the density of smog or PM2.5 particulate matter in the region. Being a naturalist, I live a life which I try as much as possible to avoid manmade environmental hazards especially smoke or smog-filled environments. But that’s sort of a dream living in a country where heavy smog is a common occurrence and clear blue skies in smog-hot-spots are hailed as a national achievement. So I thought, if I’m asked what’s my vision for a prosperous China what would that be? And the only thing that could come to mind was ‘a smog-free China. That if Beijing and its surroundings for example are going to achieve the government set target of reducing pollution by 40% from 2013 level by 2020, then a single day in each week should be strictly set aside as a national anti-pollution day. Particulate Matter Particulate matter, or PM, is the term for particles found in the air, including dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets. Particles can be suspended in the air for long periods of time. Some particles are large or dark enough to be seen as soot or smog. Others are so small that individually they can only be detected with an electron microscope. Many manmade and natural sources emit PM directly or emit other pollutants that react in the atmosphere to form PM. These solid and liquid particles come in a wide range of sizes. Particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10) pose a health concern because they can be inhaled into and accumulate in the respiratory system. Particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) are referred to as "fine" particles and are believed to pose the greatest health risks. Because of their small size (approximately 1/30th the average width of a human hair), fine particles can lodge deeply into the lungs. My vision My vision is to see China rid its atmosphere of these pollutants that kill millions each year and scare foreign talents out of the country. I envision that as the country prepares to create more opportunities for foreign talents it would adhere to strict set-measures that could eventually make the perennial smog-scare in major cities a thing of the past. My suggestion So what’s my suggestion? I suggest that a single day in each week should be devoted nationwide or in hot-spot areas to mitigating the problem. Out of 365 (366 in a leap year) days in a year, a single day for example Monday in a week doubles up to at least 53 (52 days in a leap year) days. That’s at least 52-53 days of adhering to activities that limit the emission of manmade substances that causes increase in pm2.5 matter- call it the National Anti-pollution day or Smog-free day. It could be voluntary or statutory, any which way freedom from smog must come. It could impact on the profitability of big companies but hey, that’s the opportunity cost of having a smog-free nation. Just like Europe and some states in the US did during the industrial revolution, China should take firm and continual measures in protecting the environment. The Deputy Head of the China Research Academy of Environmental Sciences Chai Fahe at a seminar in February, 2016 called for ‘extra strict’ regulations to reduce pollutant emissions. I think my suggestion could pass as an ‘extra strict’ efficient and effective regulation if it hasn’t already been tabled. In all, there are around 74 major domestic cities that have been highlighted in the country as prone to heavy smog with major hot-spots in Northern and Central China so if these cities for example could adopt a single day every week and observe that day as an anti-pollution day I think achieving the government set target of reducing pollution by 40% from 2013 level by 2020 wouldn’t be an improbable achievement. Undeniably, a lot is been done in major capitals like Beijing and Tianjin. Over 716 enterprises considered as major polluters have been evicted from Beijing. The city has rejected 13,000 industrial and commercial registrations. It is building a one-hour city transportation circle as part of a green transportation model to ease traffic jams and pollution- and I’m sure that would be replicated in other smog-hot-spots. In short, it is my hope that the administrative sub-center plan to be rolled out by the government, based on standards for an international first class, harmonious and habitable metropolis would take into consideration a national anti-pollution day to be observed once every week

Everyone calls him Ma Yun and I’m yet to have a grasp of his real Chinese name. Clearly his smiles and demeanour depicts that of the Alibaba founder Jack Ma. He is calm and rarely makes noise in class. This gentle sixth grade student is adored by his fellow classmates for his resemblance to Jack Ma. Ma recently posted four comic drawing inspired by self portrait and I thought this sixth grader looked even Ma-like than other Ma look-a-like photos I came across on the net. You judge.

The year was 2009; I was bound for Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei Province in Central China，to study as a post-graduate student in Mass Communication having qualified as a beneficiary of Chinese government scholarship. A rare opportunity at that time and even today, I vowed to make the best out of the offer, searched thoroughly on the internet about my host-city and university- Central China Normal University, one of the best language and teaching universities in China. Within a week after my arrival, orientation was over and classes had begun starting with a one-whole year of Chinese language course. My major was a Chinese taught program so grabbing the language was of utmost importance. This is where the fittest survives. Chinese has been well acknowledged as one of the most difficult languages on planet earth for non-natives and here I was trying to make sense out of what most would describe as hieroglyphics. Burning the mid-night candle trying to study a language as difficult as Chinese as I later realised was pointless so I devised a strategy captured in a five-point post I published on China Daily 5 Easy tricks to learning Chinese. And that is about that with language studies. It was a difficult time though, but I sailed through. Talk of other experiences and that might require a whole chapter. Some of these experiences are best described as moments, also captured in another post I published on China Daily titled What are your China moments? These experiences are not peculiar to many foreigners in China. They are moments one easily comes across or experiences’ in China. For the fun that I had as a student check my post on My love affair with Wuhan city , a satiric article that received much comments on my blog page also on China Daily. Top on the highlights during my days as a student was the Wuhan University annual cultural festival. It was always a blast and you’d better not miss it. Those were awesome experiences at every single event during my four year program. It was the meeting of cultures from all over the globe, more like a UN general assembly super-hyped with a display of cultural attires, ethnic food, music and dance. It is a very colorful event that has been copied by other institutions but there is none like the Wuhan University celebrations. As an exchange student we did travel a lot to scenic spots and museums which are in abundance within Wuhan’s three main districts- that is Wuchang, Hankou and Hannan. The three names come together to form Wuhan- Wu from Wuchang and han from the first three letters of the two other districts. Wuchang is the cultural and educational hub scattered with most of the schools in the city. Hankou serves as the financial and economic hub whilst Hannan is mostly dominated by manufacturing industries from cars to all things made in China. The city is basically a revelers paradise. Foreigners missing home only need to turn around a corner to find a restaurant serving exotic dishes from around the world. It doesn’t matter where one comes from, religion or whatever, if you want halal (Muslim) dish or African cuisines you name it, you’re bound to come across a restaurant that serves something you’ll definitely like even though European and America cuisines take up the chunk of the menu at Western styles restaurants. For a tour around the city, the city buses and metro can whisk you to-and-fro from any angle to your destination. For a birds-eye view of Wuchang I will recommend first time visitors to visit Huanghelou, the iconic ancient Buddhist building.

CCTV News anchor Jenny Gu yesterday signed out for the last time leaving an indelible mark on many of the station’s viewers. If you missed out on her out-tro, sorry then. Personally, I had a crush on her eloquence and demeanor before the camera. I’ve enjoyed listening to her for the past five years and I’ll say she certainly was an asset to the station. I wouldn’t describe this exactly as a eulogy, but rather my expression of thanks to Jenny for presenting the news with panache. According to her LinkedIn profile, Jenny obtained a double major (Economics and Finance) from the University of Illinois in Chicago, US. She formerly worked at the Office of the Secretary in the US Department of Labor from 2006 to 2009 and at the Office of the Honorable Elaine L. Chao at The Heritage Foundation from 2009 to 2010 before joining CCTV News the same year. TO JENNY I SAY AYEEKO (WELL DONE)

China’s trade and assistance to Africa within the past two decades surpasses that of Europe and America combined and that is not debatable- China has done far more for the continent economically than all of Africa’s Western trading partners combined. Some critics argue that despite China’s tremendous assistance to countries in Africa, the scale is still not balance; they opine that economies of scale haven’t been achieved in the highly promoted partnership. Nonetheless, most African countries are comfortable and appreciate their partnerships in trade agreements with China. However, one area of China’s policy towards Africa that has come under constant scrutiny is the grey area of education. Critics of Chinese policies in Africa assert that China awards scholarships to students from African countries based on trade deals. They agree that the intention is good but little is achieved from such schemes. Most students especially those offered majors in science and medicine return home and are tagged as half-baked doctors and therefore go through very stringent exams and procedures before given permission to practice. Some countries have totally refused to allow undergraduates to study in China and prefer scholarships for only post-graduate students who are enrolled in English-taught majors, matured and able to resist the lures of the extravagant lifestyle of some foreign students in China. As seen in recent reports, China is among the front-runners for foreigners choosing to study abroad. The mainland is the third largest recipient of foreign students according to a 2013-2014 reports. Most foreign students before entry into China are fascinated about all the news going round in international circles about China’s astronomical rise. They choose to study in China knowing that the environment and culture including the language are different but unaware of the unforeseeable challenges that awaits them. They come to China holding dear to the promises of good education and a shot at life but some dreams are shattered badly on the way, mainly due to the language barrier. Undergraduate Students, mostly from African countries have had their scholarships discontinued after a year or two (that is a lot of time wasted) basically because they can’t simply compete with their Chinese counterparts due to the language barrier. The sad part is most of these students are awarded scholarships because they are smart and distinguished students; however their lack of proficiency in Chinese becomes a major setback on their road to success. All undergraduate students according to Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) policy are required to offer their major courses in Chinese after a one-year Chinese language course. That is a one-year language course with vacations and Chinese National holidays in between- that makes up to at most 9 months of intensive language tuition. Any foreigner, even an old China hand who has studied Chinese language would truthfully admit that one cannot study a language as difficult as Chinese for only a year and compete with native Chinese students in an exam that requires theoretical reasoning. It’s simply impossible. This has rendered the majority of foreign students who cannot achieve this task the laughing stock of Chinese friends and professors. For students coming from French, Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries, the situation is even more worrisome- they’ll have to go through a series of translations from Chinese to English and from English to for example French, Spanish or whichever language they speak. I will emphasize here that the one-year intensive language course is sufficient to enable students easily communicate with locals and go about their daily activities but insufficient for theoretical reasoning that requires a lot of research and proficiency in certain terminologies that are often not taught in language schools. Then again, the majority of students easily pass the required proficiency test HSK, but looks all dumb and confused when the real lectures begin. Those who don’t pass the proficiency test after subsequent sittings are sent home. Even the smartest students who pass the test go through a hell of a time trying to make meaning of what is being taught in class. This is where the fittest survive. Most lecturers and professors understand their predicament and assist them whichever possible way they could. The weak ones just fall apart and give up. There isn’t much time to apportion blame. That would be counterproductive. However, the focus here (paradigm shift) cannot be fully achieved without noting what is unintentionally been ignored by CSC due to the herculean task of managing students from different countries and cultures across the globe. The Council since its inception has done a tremendous job and deserves praise and commendation. It has single handedly integrated more foreigners into Chinese society and educational system than any other organization in China - further strengthening China’s opening up policy in education and cultural exchange. What can be done however, to remedy a worsening situation is to identify the most salient problem, already mentioned above (language barrier) and strategize on how to rectify this anomaly so that students who have not yet become victims would be spared. Failure to do so would amount to inconsistencies in China’s policy to assist in the training of Africa’s future leaders, leaders whom the continent would look up to, to kick-start its industrial revolution. I’m using African students as a case study simply because the majority of foreign students who pursue undergraduate courses in China are from Africa- very few students from South East Asia, Asia Pacific, South America, and other European countries (virtually none) pursue undergrad courses in China. All other foreign students mostly Americans, Europeans, and others specifically major in Chinese language and culture. So the question is; what exactly is CSC not doing that it can do to improve the Chinese government scholarship scheme. And by so doing transform the dreams of international students under scholarships into realities when they return home. CSC should start listening to student’s grievances. First of all, most students are scared to death to make direct contact with CSC even through the right channels because of being victimized by their host institutions. This issue is very dicey and a student would do so at his or her own peril. When a bold student left with no other choice goes ahead to make their grievances known to CSC, they either get no response and when they do, they’re directed back to the host institution which further threatens students with expulsion and in some cases expelled. CSC should encourage host institutions to assist excellent students with internship opportunities We all know the importance of internships- learning on the job. Hardly does anyone, even post-graduate students get the opportunity to intern at institutions where they can have a hands-on experience. A few do, but not undergrad students. Because of the language barrier, they barely grab anything in class. All they rely on are the English course books they buy online and online content (resulting in a lot of plagiarized term papers and thesis). Secondly, most undergrads are not familiar with the research method. They hardly understand the process. So what can be done to help excellent students who are eager to make the best of their studies in China is for CSC to implore host institutions to identify such students for internship opportunities under the assumption that a few students given such opportunities could make a world of difference. 3 The language problem I’m not against undergrad students offering their majors in Chinese even though it is hurting a sizable proportion of undergrad students under Chinese government scholarship. That is the policy and a major pre-condition before acceptance of a scholarship. It’s a take it or leave it condition and not debatable as most students later realize. But is it in the right direction when a program meant to train scholars who can compete in this current rigid international economy isn’t achieving its full potential because of a nationalistic policy to indoctrinate international students. The way forward without scrapping this policy as I see it, is to re-design the language programs in a way where the course bends at least 70 percent towards a student major course. Without this shift, international students especially medical doctors from China would be watched eyes-wide-open in the operating room.

I’ve seen quite a few posts on the system of education here in China and abroad following the now infamous Bohunt experiment in the UK. It is out of curiosity that I ask this question. I haven’t yet come across any single or same-sex high school in China, but I’m certain there might be few- considering the high number of private schools springing up and being modeled after Western style education. My question is directed specifically at Chinese contributors here on this forum. Opinions from foreign contributors are also welcome. Mixed or same-sex high schools- which would you prefer for your child? I’m posing this question bearing in mind that your son or daughter might have already been through the mixed system in primary school and would repeat that in college or university. Would you want your child to have the same experience as the majority of students who attend mixed-sex high schools or experience that assumed highly disciplined seclusion and top quality tuition in a same-sex high school? I attended a same-sex high school, a Catholic school to be precise and the assumption is that- students receive better tuition, are more disciplined and toughened up to face the challenges or difficulties in life better than their counterparts in mixed-schools. I beg to differ. From my experience I disagree with that assumption, I think the same-sex system has a lot of disadvantages that far outweighs its advantages and therefore the mixed-sex system is better and a good choice for students preparing to face the real world- considering the fact that this is the period where kids form a lot of their opinions about their environment and the world we live in. Then again I disagree with the single or same-sex education because it robs the child from communal associations and mixed-group work or interactions. In the end most girls for example come out of high school with only girls as friends and boys vice versa. A lot of research has been done on that and there have been extreme conclusions which opine that it even breeds same-sex marriages in future. I do however support the argument that problems in the real world involve both genders in coming out with solutions. My point here being- for example, China’s one-child policy does not suit single or same-sex education, therefore, for guardians to send their children to same-sex high schools equates to denying that child the opportunity to associate with the opposite sex- another form of robbery- the first being- huh. Don’t get it twisted; I support the one-child policy. It has its pros and cons. It has served its purpose hence the recent changes in policy. The argument that if the child would get a better education in a same-sex high school then why not holds a lot of water. It can’t be easily dismissed. Chinese parents from my observation care more about the quality of education that their child receives than their ability to engage in interpersonal communication which in my opinion isn’t right. At that formative stage interpersonal communication is of utmost important, they should be allowed to mingle and interact with each other. They ought to build that confidence at speaking frankly to the opposite sex early in life than later- they should be given the opportunity to know the thinking or mindset of the opposite sex. Additionally, extensive research in the study of educational psychology has proven that girls perform better than boys at that formative stage when put together but that should not be the basis to separate the two. I do agree that quality high school or pre-college education is of utmost importance but in the real world it often amounts to nothing in the work place where you have to deal with a different gender, age and even race. It is a truism that the same quality tuition associated with same-sex schools can’t be fully achieved in a mixed-sex high school environment but is that the sole reason for education? I doubt. Education should not only make us best test-takers or equip us with a skill or profession but also make us better men and women to fit in a real human society, so if you’re thinking of forking out hundreds of thousands of Yuan to send your child to a private single or same-sex school- think again. It is not really worth it- who says? I say so.

The focus of the world is still on China and it will remain so for a long time to come. The West is looking to the East even as China prepares to march westward in an attempt to revive the ancient silk road- this time around on a scale never seen or imagined before. It is a herculean task and all continents are on board. No camels my friend, it is high-speed rails and other means of transportation with turbo speed. Better grab a seat on the next available flight or whatever means and come experience the real China. Compiled below are five reasons why you should come to China in case you’re in doubt. 1. To eliminate all misconceptions/ misinformation Don’t just sit there and follow the bandwagon. If you have the means you should come and witness for yourself. You will realize that almost all the tell-tales you have been told by the media and from hearsay isn’t true. On the flip side why not come and see for yourself all that is true, at least after that experience you wouldn’t go about ignorantly claiming you were told or have heard. This time around you can confidently claim that I was there and I saw toddlers with crotchless pants. I hate to use the word brainwash but as smart as we think we are, most of us have been washed with a lot of China bashing to the extent that even after experiencing the truth the scar still remains. For example, talk about Chinese brands- until you enter mainland China, you would never believe that there are home grown brands that are far superior in quality than some popular foreign brands. To name just a few- there is Haier, TCL, Midea, and Konka, and that’s just in electronics and home appliances. There is one reason why some of these brands find it difficult reaching your doorstep. Ask your commissions and regulators. Either they’re damn scared of competition or probably they want you to keep your job. 2 There’s always room for one Yes, one of the challenges facing the Communist party is the ability to create jobs for the growing number of graduates the country’s universities churn out each year, semester after semester, millions of students. But hey, there’s always room for another foreigner. Jobs abound in the expat employment industry and the government is constantly reducing the threshold to attract foreign talents. Be it SOE’s or private organizations, there are jobs for foreigners willing to abide by the laws and regulations of the land, in good health and with the right qualification. Starting with Shanghai, the country is now introducing measures to retain foreign students who opt to stay in China and experience the Chinese dream. With the click of a mouse or the right introduction you can find potentially suitable jobs that fit your qualification. 3 A heaven for tourists, not a haven for activists….lol If you haven’t been to China, a landmass harboring almost a quarter of the world’s population then you haven’t traveled around the world. Visiting China should be among the ticked places on your to-do list. China is an adventurer’s wonderland. Forget the Great Wall, enter deep into the hinterlands. Visitors would be marveled at the sheer number of national parks in China. Within the 28 provinces that make up China, there are approximately 225 national parks officially recognized by the government. They’re huge landmasses managed by professional conservationists all for your viewing pleasure. Even locals have a hard time choosing where to visit on holidays. The point is all these parks have stunning attractions with unimaginable biodiversity you can’t find anywhere except in China. Top on the list are parks in Yunnan, Sichuan, Anhui and those in Hunan province. Most of these parks are relatively unknown to expats living in China because of the remoteness of the regions. Quite a number of these parks are UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Sites. They include the Three Parallel Rivers, the Stone Forest of Lunan, and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain National Parks.Other famous parks include the Wulingyuan Zhangjiajie National Park- described as China’s Avatar, the Zhangjiajie national park is a popular tourist destination in Hunan. It is home to striking sandstone and quarts cliffs which inspired the fictional world of Pandora in James Cameron’s movie, Avatar. The Jiuhaigou National Park- located in the Jiuhai Valley; it is home to nine Tibetan villages where over 220 bird species as well as a number of endangered plant and animal species including giant pandas, Sichuna golden monkeys are protected. The Longmen Grottoes National Park- located in Luoyang city in Henan Province, the park houses treasures of ancient China’s Buddhist cave art. The caves are believed to have been hewed and carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty around 386-534, when the rulers relocated their capital to Luoyang near the end of the 5th century. The Huangshan National Park- this is home to the legendary Yellow Mountains. Surrounded in the myths of ancient immortals, the Yellow Mountains have some strange charming geomorphology. I’m yet to visit some of these places but trust me I’ve seen enough and they’re magical. 4. Learning the language is fun Most potential visitors to China are turned off simply because of the language. They refuse to come because of assumed difficulty in grasping the language. If others have been able to decipher the language why can’t you. Of course learning a new language like Chinese is difficult, it is same with other languages, but learning a language in an environment where you’re always encouraged by the native speakers couldn’t be much more fun. Just remember that learning Chinese is easier when you’re on the mainland. It is an amazing language and to count yourself among the rest of the world’s population that speaks Chinese is a plus. Imagine the opportunities that come with it. Personally, it was one of my greatest challenges but I was able to crack it wide open with a few tips- check my 5 Easy tricks to learning Chinese. Don’t let the fear of one language keep you away from all the possibilities and dreams you can achieve in China. If it is the language keeping you away from China then you have nothing to fear or worry about. It is a whole big world out here and language should be the least of your worries. 5 Rest assured, the people are warm I’ve written a lot about this and others have done so. China is the only country where almost every foreigner is a star. No need to masquerade around as one, especially in second tier cities or rural areas where you get to experience most of your China moments but mind you the streets are not lined with golden bricks, and certainly not honey and milk everywhere but rest assured you can butter your bread so far as you are employed or a students. You can even strike gold if you are in the top echelons of the talent pool. It’s China, everything is possible.